Improved oxidative stress and cardio-metabolic status in obese prepubertal children with liver steatosis treated with lifestyle combined with Vitamin E.

MedLine Citation:

PMID:
23205728
Owner:
NLM
Status:
Publisher

Abstract/OtherAbstract:

Abstract In obese adults with non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), treatment with vitamin E has resulted in an improvement in liver histology, whereas variable and limited results are available in children. Our aim was to assess whether lifestyle combined with supplementation with Vitamin E might reduce oxidative stress and improve cardio-metabolic status in obese children with NAFLD. 24 obese prepubertal children (16M) followed a 6-month lifestyle intervention combined with vitamin E supplementation (600 mg/day) and compared with 21 age and sex-matched obese peers who underwent lifestyle intervention only. At baseline and after 6-month urinary prostaglandin F2α (PGF-2α); endogenous secretory receptor for advanced glycation end products (esRAGE), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), alanine aminotransferases (ALT), lipid profile, glucose and insulin were assessed. The two groups were comparable for age (8.3±1.6 vs 8.4±1.3 yr), sex and BMI SDS (2.16±0.29 vs 2.13±0.28). At the beginning of the study, PGF2-α, esRAGE and hsCRP, ALT, lipid profile and HOMA-IR levels were similar between the two groups (all p>0.05). After 6-month treatment, levels of PGF2-α (p<0.001) significantly decreased and esRAGE significantly increased (p<0.001) in children treated with vitamin E. A significant reduction was also found in ALT (p=0.001), lipid profile and HOMA-IR (p<0.001). In contrast, no significant change in any of these markers was detected in the lifestyle only group. In conclusion, vitamin E supplementation was associated with a significant reduction in oxidative stress and improved cardio-metabolic alterations. These data suggest that Vitamin E supplementation could represent a valuable treatment in obese children affected by NAFLD.